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Highlights & Basics
- Bacterial meningitis represents a life-threatening inflammation of the meninges. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis are the predominant causative pathogens in both adults and children.
- It commonly affects extremes of age (<2 months and >60 years) because of impaired or waning immunity.
- A lumbar puncture to obtain cerebrospinal fluid is the most important investigation when a diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is considered.
- Empiric antimicrobial therapy and dexamethasone should be started promptly. When the specific organism is identified, treatment can be modified accordingly.
- Hearing should be tested before discharge or within 4 weeks after discharge in all children with bacterial meningitis to detect any hearing loss as early as possible. Long-term audiologic follow-up is only needed for patients with early onset hearing loss.
Quick Reference
History & Exam
Key Factors
Other Factors
Diagnostics Tests
Treatment Options
Definition
Epidemiology
Etiology
Pathophysiology
Images
Laboratory-confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease in England by capsular group and epidemiologic year. The light blue and dark blue arrows denote the start of the national immunization programme against group C meningococcal (MenC) disease and group B meningococcal (MenB) disease, respectively
Ventral view of human brain showing purulent basilar meningitis infection due to Streptococcus pneumoniae
Photomicrograph of Gram-stained Streptococcus species bacteria
Citations
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